


Coffee and Cream

by lathalea



Series: Just Imagine [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Chance Meetings, F/M, Fireworks, Gandalf Meddles, I take my coffee with cream, New Year's Day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-13 01:21:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,632
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28520052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lathalea/pseuds/lathalea
Summary: What are the odds of meeting a golden-maned warrior on a gloomy New Year's Day?
Relationships: Fíli (Tolkien)/Original Female Character(s), Fíli (Tolkien)/Reader, Fíli (Tolkien)/You
Series: Just Imagine [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135697
Comments: 6
Kudos: 25





	Coffee and Cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Guardianofrivendell](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardianofrivendell/gifts).



> This fic is a gift for the wonderful and talented [**Guardianofrivendell**](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guardianofrivendell/) (check out her works!).  
> You're one of the nicest people I know :) Never stop being you! 💙💙💙

It was the 1st of January. A really gloomy day. 

It seemed that all the powers in the world had been conspiring to mess up the first day of the new year. But you decided you wouldn’t let them, despite everything. First, your car wouldn't start and you had to take a bus to work. Yes, you had to go to work for a couple of hours on the 1st of January, because your boss suddenly decided there was some very important emergency paperwork that needed to be done. Fun, fun, fun! 

You finished your work quickly and were already looking forward to a nice and quiet evening spent at home. Just as you left your home, water started pouring down from the dark clouds above. You looked at the sky with a frown. Seriously? Rain? It was winter and you expected big, fluffy snowflakes, a cozy fire crackling in the fireplace, a warm blanket, and a large mug of hot cocoa in your hands. Someone definitely should file a complaint to anyone who was in charge of the weather today.

It was slowly getting dark when you reached the bus stop with an umbrella over your head. At this point, your boots were soaked through and your feet were getting cold. If this was not enough, it turned out that the bus you were supposed to take was broken, its orange emergency lights blinking. Of course, because why not? What else the day had in store for you?

The vehicle was standing at the side of the wet road, empty, desolate, and with its engine off. It was painted red, like all the buses in the city, and a pair of golden front lights was glaring at you. This long machine reminded you of a large dragon, resting after a large meal somewhere among the mountains that looked suspiciously like tall office buildings. You chuckled to yourself. Your vivid imagination seemed to work well despite the weather.

You took your cellphone out of your coat pocket and checked the bus schedule. The next one was supposed to arrive in one and a half hours. Ah yes, the holiday schedule. You sighed, wishing you could call a cab, but you lived outside of the city and the holiday fares were quite expensive. You would just have to wait. 

Cursing your bad luck, you heard someone humming a cheerful tune. Looking around, you spotted the bus driver who stood in the front door of the vehicle, an elderly man in a grey uniform with the logo of the bus company. He had an impressively long grey beard and a friendly twinkle in his blue eyes. There was a smell of pipe tobacco in the air.

“Good afternoon,” you said.

“What do you mean? Do you wish me a good afternoon, or mean that it is a good afternoon whether I want it or not; or that you feel good this afternoon; or that it is an afternoon to be good on?” he asked, putting an unusually curved pipe into his mouth. You could have sworn that his hands were empty just a moment ago.

“All of them at once, I suppose,” you retorted in amusement. A bus driver and a philosopher? This day was getting interesting.

The bearded man eyed you for a long while; a low hum left his mouth. “You sound like someone who is in dire need of an adventure.”

If this was supposed to be a pick-up line, it was extremely lame. Besides, this guy could have been your grandfather! What kind of people do the bus companies employ these days? 

“The only thing I’m in dire need of right now is a pair of dry shoes,” you opposed. Your hand rested on your purse, you had your pepper spray there, just in case. “I don’t want any adventures, thank you!”

You turned on your heel and started to walk away when his voice reached you again, along with that sweet smell of pipe tobacco. “It is New Year’s Day. Hmmm. Yes, it is time for some fireworks.” 

You left his peculiar words behind and after a few minutes, you entered a small, bright coffee shop that smelled both of freshly baked pastries and freshly ground coffee beans. Enjoying the pleasant warmth inside, you made your order and sat at the last available table. 

Sipping your cappuccino and munching on a delicious danish with vanilla custard and strawberries, you passed time tapping away at the keyboard of your laptop. The day seemed to be shaping up already. You not only felt warmer but also you had just come up with a great idea for a new story and you were filling a page after a page with words. You were on fire!

And then something pushed against your table. It swayed and you barely had the time to catch your laptop. Your coffee cup wasn’t that lucky. It crashed into the floor, spilling its contents all over the floor.

“Sorry,” you heard a pleasant male voice and looked up.

The first thing you noticed about him was his bright blue eyes that made you think of a crystal clear mountain lake. And then there was his long blond hair gathered in a bun at the back of his head. Were your eyes deceiving you or were parts of his hair braided? His well-groomed beard was of the same color, exactly like his moustache that was unusually long and meticulously braided, with a pair of ornamented silver cuffs at each end. Or maybe they were called beads? You had no idea, it was the first time you saw something like this. You couldn’t explain why, but his handsome face seemed vaguely familiar. 

He was definitely taller than you and wore one of those GoreTex sports jackets together with a chequered shirt beneath it, a matching pair of well-fitting jeans and heavy boots. Noticing his wide shoulders, you wondered whether he was some kind of professional sportsman or maybe a fireman. Yes, you had a thing for blue-eyed, blond-haired firemen who would sweep you off your feet, and their strong arms that could lift you as if you weighed no more than a feather… Focus. You needed to focus now. You made the guy wait for your answer and now a deepening frown appeared on his face.

“Oh…” you said. Well done, girl, very eloquent.

“I was a bit clumsy, I turned too quickly and it just…” his voice trailed off while he lifted the two long and flat objects he held in one of his hands, both wrapped in black fabric as if it was supposed to explain everything. They were definitely shorter than a pair of skis, but you had no idea what they could be. He smiled apologetically, and when he did, a pair of gorgeous dimples appeared on his face. Has anyone cranked up the heating in here?

You cleared your throat. “I see.” Your writing was going so well just a few moments before and now what? Where were all the clever words when you needed them most?

The barista who had taken your order before appeared by your table and started cleaning the mess.

“Let me buy you a cuppa,” he continued. “Tea or coffee?”

“A latte would be fine. Thanks,” you replied and he nodded in response. Congratulations, brain! Six words! A spectacular achievement! And you managed to achieve this while ogling at his strong neck. Just a little bit. There’s nothing wrong with taking an innocent peek at a nicely built man, right?

“... and add it to my tab. Thanks, Tau, and sorry about the mess,” he said to the barista after placing his order. She was a lithe red-haired woman moving with unusual grace.

“You’re welcome, Fil. Just keep your toys out of range of breakable objects, okay?” she grinned. 

“Will do,” he promised and turned towards you. “Mind if I join you?” 

Something new appeared in his crystal clear blue eyes as his gaze rested on your face. A flicker of warmth. You opened your mouth but no words left it.

“It’s okay if you don’t need company, I understand. Especially since it’s a guy who looks like a walking disaster,” his eyes still sparkled.

“Is that your favorite pastime? Visiting coffee shops and creating mayhem?” go, brain, go! We’re back in action!

“Not quite. To be honest, it’s mostly creating mayhem. At least according to my uncle,” he grinned. A row of even, white teeth flashed in his beard.

“Why don’t you tell me about it?” you gestured at the empty chair on the opposite side of the table. You still had some time to kill and you’d rather do it in an interesting company. Once again he nodded and his moustache cuffs clinked together. Was that a sigh of relief you heard?

Not a fireman, you decided when he took off his jacket. More likely a lumberjack. His blue and brown flannel shirt fitted him snugly, revealing the breadth of his chest and hinting at the shapes of the muscles beneath the fabric. Oh, my. Perhaps it was time to order some ice cream. Seriously, you needed to cool down.

Enjoying your latte, you got to know a few things about the walking disaster who was now sitting in front of you and drinking his coffee. When his slightly curved, sensual lips wrapped around the edge of his cup, you discovered that you liked the view. Especially the lower lip, to be precise. You wondered how it would feel if he… Focus, woman! He has just told you his name! Now it’s your turn! 

Fili. His name was Fili. Along with his younger brother and uncle, he was a part of a historical reenactment group and he was on his way home from an event that had taken place at a castle nearby. The mysterious long objects turned out to be his swords. Now you knew how he built those biceps that looked as if they were about to tear his shirt apart. Stop. You had to stop ogling him and focus on his words. History. Castles. Swords. Duels.

“I know you!” you exclaimed in triumph. Yes, you have seen his face before and you now knew where!

“You do?”

“You are a member of that group… yes, it’s called Thorin’s Company, and you’re into medieval martial arts! I saw your posters!”

“Guilty as charged,” he admitted with a grin. “Although I’m afraid those pictures didn’t do me much justice.”

“You looked like an ancient warrior in that fur-lined coat.”

“And how do I look now?” he raised his eyebrow.

“Like a logger on vacation,” you sniggered.

“Come on! I’m deeply wounded! It took me a while to get rid of that beer belly!”

“Did you really have one?”

“Well… not quite.”

“Not quite?”

“I was a bit, well, on the chubby side when I was a boy,” he admitted and you couldn’t stop yourself from imagining how he could have looked like as a kid with those big blue eyes of his. Utter cuteness. “At some point, my uncle started taking me and my brother for hiking trips. Since then, it’s become our little tradition. This year in April, we’re going for a hike in the mountains for a couple of weeks. I can’t wait to see their misty tops,” he held his cup in his long fingers and stared into it for a few moments. There was something kindred about him as if you’d known each other for a very long time, and you both spoke with ease. You noticed how long and soft his dark golden eyelashes were, as if he was a young boy and not a grown, well-built man. Yes, a very well-built man. With amazing eyelashes, dreamy blue eyes, and manly, slightly arched eyebrows.

“Do you like hiking?” you barely registered his question. What was happening to you today? You had to pull yourself together before the gorgeous man across the table would start thinking you’re slow or, what’s worse, that you are completely overcome by his charms. Which you weren’t. Not at all. Not even a bit.

“I like spending time in nature, but I’m not an advanced hiker, I’m afraid.”

“I wasn’t one either when my uncle took us for a hiking trip for the first time. To be honest, I’m not sure I’m one now. One of my friends, we call him “Bomb”, can reach a mountain top in no time, leaving the rest of us huffing and puffing behind. He’s a great cook so when everyone finally reaches the camp, there are always tons of delicious food for us to devour.”

“How large is your group?”

“There’s thirteen of us. And not thirteen of the best, nor the brightest, as some of us claim,” he chuckled.

And then your eyes met. It was as if you were drowning in his gaze, reaching to his very core, and you didn’t want to return to the surface. 

“Another cup of coffee?” he offered after a pause.

You blinked and looked into your cup. When did you manage to drink it all? The time flew really fast.

“Yes, that would be lovely,” you agreed. Well, well. A very perceptive man. So they do exist! “Just please make sure it’s with double cream,” you bit your lower lip.

“At your service. I’ll make sure you get as much cream as you can handle, love,” he purred in a low, velvety voice, his eyes flickered again, and hello, sexy dimples!

Red alert. Red alert. This man was not only stunningly gorgeous, but he was also flirting with you! You were in serious danger.

“Or as much as you can handle,” you retorted. Two could play this game. He didn’t know it yet, but he was in equally serious danger himself. Fili’s lip twitched and he opened his mouth, but then you heard a familiar noise. The low droning of a heavy engine brought you back to reality.

“My bus!” you gasped and got up, glancing through the window. The long red vehicle was already disappearing into the darkness that had already fallen over the city. Perfect. Just perfect. Defeated, you fell back on your chair, mumbling a curse under your breath.

“So now I owe you a bus ride as well,” Fili leaned across the table towards you. He smelled of sandalwood and juniper, and of something else that made you think of snowy mountain tops on a sunny winter day. “Let me make it up to you and drive you home. And if you’re concerned about getting into a car with a guy you’ve just met, you can take a picture of me and send it to a friend, along with my number plates and my phone number.”

Was this a belated Christmas gift from a forgetful Santa? The guy was not only a gentleman but also a thoughtful person!

He stretched out his arm and put his large hand on the table palm up, next to your cup. There was a questioning look in his eyes.

“Let’s start with your phone number,” you heard your own voice and placed your fingertips over his. His skin was pleasantly warm and a bit rough. His fingers twitched under your touch and you felt as if a spark jumped between you, like a minuscule series of fireworks exploding under your skin.

As you were walking towards his car, you looked at Fili’s profile, admiring his handsome features and his blond mane gathered in the back of his head, golden reflexes dancing among his strands. He looked at you and smiled with that bright smile of his. A newfound ray of sunshine under the cloudy skies.

It was the 1st of January. A really creamy day.

**Author's Note:**

> Happy New Year! :)
> 
> Don't forget to leave Kudos & comments if you liked this story! Thank you :)


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